PA Surplus and Debate Grows

Pennsylvania’s tax surplus grew by another $34 million dollars in May, and now sits at nearly $540 million. Strong sales and corporate tax revenue came in well over projections, augmenting a deficit in personal income tax returns.

Democratic lawmakers say the increase gives added momentum to their argument for a larger budget.

Governor Corbett and House Republican leaders want to hold the extra cash in reserve, while most Democrats, including the party’s Appropriations Chair, Joe Markosek, have argued for months that it should lessen proposed cuts. He’d use the money for “Education, certainly,” but also, “Long-term care for our frail and chronically ill senior citizens. And certainly additional restoration of the funding cuts for the handicapped population in Pennsylvania.”

Not every Democrat agrees, though. Auditor General Jack Wagner said the Republican plan to put the money in the depleted Rainy Day Fund is the right call, pointing to billions of dollars in debt and overdue bills. “Our commitment – our additional commitment to SERS and PSERS going forward is simply in the next couple years – is in the billions of dollars. The Pennsylvania Employee benefit trust fund is owed two to three billion dollars,” he said, warning other “fiscal unknowns” may rise in the coming year, as well.

Marksosek is confident the surplus will grow even larger, once June revenue comes in. “We still have one month to go, and my econometric staff folks tell me that all expectations, based on past history, etc, is the June is shaping up to be at least a fairly strong month. So I don’t think the $540 million figure will shrink,” he said.

The House passed its budget next week, and the next round of action will come in the Senate. Markosek says he’s been in touch with Senate leaders, but no formal budget negotiations have been scheduled.

Military Caucus Aims to Preserve PA Bases

A new bipartisan caucus in the state’s General Assembly hopes to ensure Pennsylvania’s military bases survive the scrutiny of the U.S. Department of Defense.

The Military Installations and Base Development Caucus wants to preserve all of Pennsylvania’s installations when the Department of Defense starts its next Base Realignment and Closure Commission, possibly in 2015.

Co-chairman and Senator John Blake says considering both military employment and defense-related business, the state’s bases generate billions of dollars and more than 160,000 jobs.

The Lackawanna County Democrat says the new caucus will be serve as a liaison between the bases, the state legislature, and Congress. Blake says this is especially important in light of the possibility of a Closure Commission in four years. He says to keep its bases, the Commonwealth must be competitive with other states.

“I don’t know if they’ve set it up as a caucus of the general assemblies, but I can tell you that there’s evidence of much stronger dialogue between state legislators and Congressional delegations in other states like Alabama, I believe Louisiana,” says Blake. “There might be other states with heavy defense spending where I think that there’s a more seamless, more routine communication between the federal delegation and the state assembly.”

The Department of Defense lists eight military installations in Pennsylvania on its website, including two in Pittsburgh. Blake says the military caucus will hold its first meetings this fall.

Another Lawmaker Tries to Shrink PA Legislature

A long line of Pennsylvania lawmakers have tried and failed to reduce the size of the state legislature but Senator Judy Schwank says she likes her chances.

“The legislature has to be unleashed from the old way of thinking, which costs taxpayers millions of dollars more each year than is either appropriate or necessary,” said Schwank.

Schwank says things are different than when the lawmaker to citizen ratios where created, “We have modern technology, people can contact their legislators via the web, or phone, there are so many ways that we can reach out to our constituents.”

Senator Schwank’s bill would cut 82 members from the House of Representatives, shrinking it to 121 members from the current 203. The Senate would lose 10 members, going to a 40-member body.

The legislation has 13 co-sponsors including signatures from both sides of the aisle. “I think that this gives great possibility to the fact that this may actually go somewhere… and reflect what constituents have been saying to all of us.”

The bill has been referred to the Senate State Government Committee for consideration. It would have to be passed by both chambers in two consecutive legislative sessions, signed by the Governor and approved by the voters. Similar legislation in the past has failed to move out of committee or has not been considered by both chambers.

House GOP Budget Approved Along Party Lines

The Pennsylvania House has passed a $27.3 billion budget, setting the stage for negotiations to begin on a final agreement for next year’s spending plan.

The 109-92 voter came after a full day of debate. Democrat after Democrat blasted the bill’s spending cuts. Joe Markosek, the minority chair of the House Appropriations Committee, said the billion dollars in spending reductions will have real-world consequences. “To think of your five-year-old neighbor unable to start kindergarten,” he argued, early in the debate. “To think of the battered mother, turned away from a domestic violence shelter. To think of a seriously ill child unable to access hospital care, due to cutbacks in service.”

Many Democrats criticized the $470 million the House budget eliminates in welfare spending, compared to Governor Corbett’s proposal. Republican Appropriations Chair Bill Adolph pointed out the Department of Public Welfare spent 6.5 billion dollars a year, when Governor Rendell took office in 2003. “The fiscal year ending 2010-2011, that budget swelled to $10.6 billion. This is an increase of 64 percent in those eight years. 64 percent.” The House GOP plan gives $10.7 billion to DPW, a one percent increase over last year’s spending. Republican leaders used Governor Rendell’s acknowledged four percent DPW spending error rate as the template for their $470 million relative reduction.

The measure now heads to the Senate, where it will likely languish until legislative leaders and Governor Corbett reach a final budget agreement. Negotiations will likely begin in the coming weeks. Republican leaders in both chambers are committed to passing the budget by June 30th, for the first time since 2002.

State Agencies May Have to Submit Fiscal Plans

Stan Saylor (R-York) has proposed House Bill 726, which he says would make state agencies accountable to taxpayers and voters. If passed, the legislation would require state agency programs to submit a plan for their activities for no less than four years ahead of the fiscal year in which it is submitted. Saylor says that this could help repair the Commonwealth's budget deficit.

"This is intended to make us look back at how we're spending money, what programs are doing, and where are the failures of the program. If the program is not working, you may eliminate it. If the program is working to a certain extent where it's having some success but not as much as you would like as your goal, then, well, you have to analyze why it's failing."

Saylor adds that an agency can change their four year plan if they feel like they need more money or if they need to change their overarching goal. He says with bipartisan support, he hopes to get the bill into the Senate by June.

Six State Lawmakers Trying to Bolt Harrisburg

Four Democrats and two Republicans won primary elections last week. The majority come from the southeast: in Philadelphia, Democrat Kenyatta Johnson and Republican Denny O’Brien are running for City Council, and Democrat Jewell Williams is campaigning for sheriff. In the suburbs, Democrat Josh Shapiro is vying to become Montgomery County commissioner. In Lehigh County, Republican Doug Reichley is running for a judicial seat. And in Allegheny County, Democrat Chelsa Wagner is hoping to become her family’s second fiscal watchdog, by running for county controller.

Does Harrisburg gridlock play a role in the lawmakers’ decisions to seek new employment? Reichley downplayed the suggestion. “I think these things come and go in cycles. I think there were just two members in the ‘09 elections that ran,” he said. “So I think it was more just a coincidence this year with the number of members who are looking at other elective offices.” The Republican former prosecutor did concede, however, that his family life influenced the judicial run. “You know, I have two kids who are 13 and 11. And the amount of time away from home that is required by the job, both to be in Harrisburg and to be doing events in the district, really does take a toll on your family life,” he said.

Shapiro said he “loves” his job as a state representative, but, “5he opportunity to run for Montgomery County Commissioner, in a county of 800,000 people, with a budget of nearly a half billion dollars, and extraordinary responsibility over infrastructure, social services and education, was just too much to pass up.”

Four of the lawmakers running for local office are Democrats, who went from House majority to minority this year. Shapiro said that wasn’t a factor in his decision to run for commissioner. “Look, everybody has their reasons for wanting to make the move. For me, it was about helping people in a more direct way,” he said. “About having the opportunity to affect more lives than I do now in a more positive way. And to being in more of an executive role.”

Any seats vacated by November wins would be filled by special elections early next year. Those contests, coming about a year into Governor Corbett’s tenure, will likely be viewed as litmus tests for whether the Republican’s agenda still has the support of Pennsylvania voters.

Possible Do Not Text Registry

People frustrated by text messaging ads might soon have an answer to their problem. Pennsylvania State Representative Seth Grove (R-Dover) introduced legislation amending the Telemarketer Registration Act to include text messages.

Rep. Grove says the idea for the amendment came from his constituents. "I had a couple senior citizens come into the office. And they started getting text messaging advertisements and they didn't have a text messaging plan so it cost them money to receive em. And then, it usually says 'reply back STOP to stop the text messaging' and to stop it it cost them even more money."

Grove says he believes that his colleagues will support the amendment, since he has not heard any negative reaction. He says that anyone already on the Do Not Call list will receive the benefits of his legislation once it passes. It was moved out of committee with a unanimous vote May 4th and is awaiting action in the full house.

The legislation would make it illegal for companies to advertise to a telephone subscriber unless the person opts-in to the texts; the company is texting about debts, contracts or payments; the company has an established relationship with the customer over 12 months; the company is a tax-exempt non-profit; and is calling on behalf of a candidate or political party.

Meals, Trips, Gifts on Disclosure Forms

Financial disclosure forms filed by state officials this week show how Pennsylvania is behind the pack, when it comes to restrictions on gifts and perks lawmakers receive.

There’s no limit on the amount of gifts and travel perks Pennsylvania officials can receive. They just need to report presents worth more than $250, and disclose cumulative travel, lodging and meals costs once they exceed $650. That means it was perfectly fine for House Speaker Sam Smith to accept more $1,000 in meals from Harrisburg lobbying firm Greenlee Partners, to name one of many disclosures from legislative leaders.

Peggy Kerns, the director of the National Conference of State Legislators’ Center for Ethics in Government, said more states are toughening their ethics laws, with ten now banning gifts altogether. “It’s really to put this strong line of demarcation between the making of public policy, and the influencing of public policy,” she said. “And it’s really geared toward the public perception. … These states that pass these strict laws are really trying to say to the public, we’re not influenced by them. And we want to make sure that you know we’re not influenced by sitting in the skybox of some professional football game, or going on a trip or outing, or repeatedly having nice dinners bought by lobbyists.”

Kerns, who spent eight years in the Colorado House of Representatives, added, “I don’t know any legislator who could be bought for a steak dinner, or anything like that. However, that’s almost beside the point, because the public looks upon, sometimes, the perks that lawmakers get as meant to influence them.”

Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi took a 2,147 dollar trip to Ireland with the State Legislative Leaders Foundation. Governor Corbett received a 530 dollar trophy from the Pittsburgh Penguins, to mark the opening of their new arena. He also accepted a $275 “welcome basket” from the Republican Governors Association, including a tie and cuff links. Governor Rendell may not have worked for NBC News yet in 2010, but he racked up more than $2,000 in hotel room bills while appearing on Meet the Press and Morning Joe.

Workers Rally for Budget Reconsideration at State Capitol

In response to Governor Tom Corbett’s budget proposal, thousands of members of labor and social organizations, and faith-based groups in Pennsylvania converged on the state capitol to rally for reconsideration.

Mackenzie Smith, leader of Unite Here 57, left Pittsburgh with 12 buses carrying nearly 1,000 people to Harrisburg. She says her group believes a rally in the Capitol is the best way to make a stand.

“I think getting out in the streets in addition to voting is the essence of democracy in showing our legislators that we care and that we’re watching the decisions they’re making. It’s the essence of America to get out in the streets and protest and make our voices heard.”

The group also protested at the Chamber of Commerce of Pittsburgh. “We want to send a message to our legislators and to Gov. Corbett that we expect a budget that is fair, where corporations are paying their fair share. We want to eliminate our corporate loopholes which is the real reason we’re having a budget shortfall in the state.”

Legislation Deals With Cell Phones & Driving

The Pennsylvania House is once again taking a look at a distracted driving bill. But the measure in front of the Transportation Committee doesn’t go as far as the cell phone ban passed by the chamber last year.

Last session, nearly 200 House members voted for a measure making talking or texting while driving a primary offense. That means police could pull a driver over for using a hand-held cell phone, and nothing else.

However, this measure limits the penalty for distracted driving to a secondary offense. That isn’t enough for Democrat Eugene DePasquale of York County, who’s been pushing the issue for years. “If a secondary law happens, it’s not as if that’s bad. It’s just not as good as I think it could be,” he said. “And the reason why is, a primary law will enable someone – a police officer – to pull someone over for doing it, which could prevent the tragedy. As opposed to fining someone after the tragedy.”

Republican Chris Ross, who authored the new legislation, argued the primary vs. secondary debate is meaningless, and that lawmakers need to just make cell phone use while driving illegal, to start changing drivers’ habits. “It’s not good enough just to make it legislated,” he testified. “We have to actually get a change in behavior. And people’s behavior doesn’t change merely because we pass a law up here. It changes because you first say, this is wrong. We’re making it illegal. And then you follow that up with an aggressive campaign.”

The new measure goes beyond cell phones, increasing already-existing distracted driving fines by $50 if a driver is using “any electronic, electrical, mechanical, personal grooming device, food, drink, book or printed material.”

Legislation to Trim House

Pennsylvania House Speaker Sam Smith is hoping for a vote by the end of this year on his bill to eliminate 50 legislative seats.

Smith’s measure would shrink the House from 203 to 153 members, and take effect in 2022. His primary motivation, he said, isn’t ideological, but rather practical: a smaller chamber would be easier to manage, and more efficient. “To be totally candid, [a smaller size] is one of the reasons the Senate as an institution seems to be able to kind of build their consensus and move more quickly when they decide to,” he said during a Capitol press conference.

The legislation is a constitutional amendment, so it would need to be passed into law in two consecutive sessions, and then clear a statewide voter referendum. If all that happens, the House would shrink during the next redistricting period. “You do a constitutional amendment, you’re already like four or five years into the next 10-year cycle,” Smith said. “And I also felt that [the delay] might take away some of the kind of parochial – are you giving up your seat? – mentality by saying it’s a little farther off.”

Major opposition to a reduction typically comes from rural lawmakers, who worry constituents in their larger districts would go underserved in even bigger boundaries. Smith represents Jefferson County, and conceded he felt that way for a long time, but that his view has evolved during his time in leadership. “To some of the people that those of us in rural Pennsylvania represent, that say this would – a smaller legislature would take away from the rural community representation, I would say that no, that really happened in the mid-60s,” he said. That’s when the House eliminated its county-based seat structure in response to a United States Supreme Court ruling mandating every state lawmaker represent roughly the same amount of constituents.

Smith doesn’t expect a hearing or vote before this year’s budget passes, but he wants the House to consider his measure this fall.

Committee Looks to Make Govt More Cost Effective

A newly-created State Senate panel has begun its task of trying to streamline state government. The Senate Intergovernmental Operations Committee held its first in a series of public hearings as it analyzes a long list of state agencies, bureaus, commissions, and departments and determine which ones should be kept, consolidated, or eliminated. The panel heard from representatives of the the American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees (AFSCME), the Pennsylvania Civil Service Commission, Harrisburg-based
Budget and Policy Center, and the Mercatus Center which helps governments (such as Virginia and Louisiana most recently) establish a program for evaluating their state agencies, bureaus, commissions and departments.

Senator John Blake (D-Lackawanna) says the committee wants to make recommendations to
the state legislature that will result in a more efficient and more cost-effective state government operation..."Finding out for instance if there are old commissions that may have out lived their utility; taking a very close look at really some streamlining and decisions we can make that might render state government a little bit more cost effective."

He says, however, the process must be thorough and not about making change for teh sake of change. "Sometimes our best intentions about being cost effective sometimes don't render the best results for the taxpayers, and sometime even have hidden costs if we're not careful about it could add up later. So we need to be very careful, very deliberative to take up this process of change in the most thoughtful manner we can."

Blake says the last thing he wants to do is make recommendations that have unintended consequences, such as shifting the cost of certain state services to local governments and local non-profit agencies. Streamlining state government, especially at a time when state
finances are tight is important, but he says eliminating or merging programs that affect Pennsylvania’s economy and job growth have to be looked at carefully, so that the state doesn’t end up curbing economic development.
Blake says it will be a long process.

Legislation Aimed at Reducing Mandates for School Districts

Republicans and Democrats have put 18 new bills before the Pennsylvania Senate Education Committee, and Republican chair Jeff Piccola says they’ll be debated and voted on in the coming weeks. “We will allow the committee to sort through these various cost-drivers and suggestions for savings designed to provide more flexibility at the local level,” he said at a Tuesday Capitol press conference. “And we will allow the Democratic legislative process to work.”

One bill would eliminate requirements for districts on the state border to bus students to private schools in other states. Another suspends continuing education and professional development programs for two years. “I hate to paint with a broad brush – but many of my opponents paint with a broad brush – but so much so-called professional development is coming in at the beginning of the school year or the in-service days and listening to speakers or watching a movie,” said Piccola.

Democratic chair Andy Dinniman has questions about professional development programs, too.

"I’ve, like Senator Piccola, have visited a number of schools, both public and charter schools, where the professional development is part of the day. Certain teacher periods when the teachers come together – it might only be for 15 minutes – and they discuss the students that they jointly have, and figure out approaches."

Other measures give schools more flexibility in hiring nurses and superintendents, and change seniority rights for teachers.

Governor Corbett wants to cut more than a billion dollars in state education spending. Critics of his budget say that will lead to district-level property tax hikes, but Piccola argues these bills are one way to negate that impact.

Castle Doctrine Measure Moving Forward

A high-profile opponent of a bill expanding the right to deadly self-defense says he’s leaning toward endorsing the measure as it makes its way through Pennsylvania’s General Assembly again this year.

When Governor Ed Rendell vetoed the Castle Doctrine legislation last year, he cited the Pennsylvania District Attorney’s Association’s opposition to the bill as a major factor. “In approaching this decision, I spoke to Edward Marsico, the respected District Attorney of Dauphin County and the chair of the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association,” Rendell wrote in his November 2010 veto message. “He told me that ‘this bill is proposing a solution to a problem that doesn't exist’ and that, if approved, it would create ‘great opportunities for defense lawyers of violent criminals.’ I agree.” Marsico made similar comments during House hearings on the measure.

Now, Marsico says the DA’s Association is working with, and not against, Republican lawmakers, in an effort to change the bill’s language. New language the group helped craft would only eliminate the duty to retreat before firing if the other person is armed. “It also provides that the individual who wants to avail themselves of the expanded doctrine cannot be engaged in any criminal activity,” he said. “And prior versions of the legislation put the onus on the prosecution to prove there was no criminal activity. We’ve removed that with the current amendment.” He outlined one more change: “The other thing in the current amendment does is that it provides that if someone’s going to claim the expanded stand your ground doctrine, and they use a firearm in defending themselves, then they have to be legally in possession of that firearm. So we’ve tightened the law a lot.”

The Senate overwhelmingly approved a new Castle Doctrine measure earlier this week, as did a House committee. The legislation is now before the full House, and if the new language stays in place, Marsico says the DA’s Association will “probably” drop its formal opposition to the effort.

Scarnatti Ripped For Free Super Bowl Trip

Government reform advocates say Super Bowl perks enjoyed by top Pennsylvania lawmakers expose shortcomings in the state’s ethics laws.
Natural gas drilling company Consol Energy footed the bill for Senate President Pro Tem Joe Scarnati’s trip to the Super Bowl, according to a story first published in the Philadelphia Inquirer.
The Republican has since said he’ll reimburse the company.Other lawmakers, including Senate Majority Leader Dominic Pileggi, attended the big game as a guest of the Steelers.Barry Kauffman of Common Cause Pennsylvania says the situation shows a disparity between Pennsylvania and other states.

"This situation would appear to be illegal in about 35 – or perhaps even more – states, based on their bans or limits on gifts."

In fact, former New York Governor David Paterson was fined more than 60-thousand dollars last year for soliciting and accepting free 2009 World Series tickets from the Yankees.
That wouldn’t be a problem in Pennsylvania, according to Kauffman.

"There are no limits in Pennsylvania on gifts whatsoever, unless they’re flat-out bribery or something like that."

Pennsylvania law does require lobbyists and lawmakers to disclose physical gifts of more than 250 dollars, and travel and entertainment perks that exceed 650 dollars a year.

Citizens Could View PA Govt Spending Online

The Pennsylvania House has passed a bill creating an online database posting government financial information.
The legislation would create a website called PennWATCH, which would allow people to view state government expenditures online.

The measure was approved unanimously, but during debate, many Democrats griped its language has too many loopholes, and some agencies will be able to keep information off the website. They also complained about the fact data would only be uploaded once a year, instead of in real time. “In this age of YouTube and Twitter and tweets, real-time data is what the public expects,” said Democrat Rick Mirabito, who authored a similar bill that passed the House last session. Another Democrat, Mike Sturla, said the measure is “fake reform,” continuing, “It’s like real genuine pleather. It’s not exactly what you thought it was, but it kind of looks good on the outside. This is not real reform.”

Sponsor Jim Christiana, a Beaver County Republican, pushed back. “Seems like there’s some people that are disappointed,” he said on the floor. “Folks, we know that this could grow in the future, but we are in tough budget and economic times. We must do everything in this chamber with a level of fiscal responsibility to the highest degree.”

Governor Tom Corbett has supported the idea, and the Senate has passed similar bills in previous sessions.
It’s unclear when the upper chamber will take up the measure. The legislation is one of six Republican-sponsored reform bills that passed the House this week. Others would increase penalties for lobbyists who violate rules, and increase the scope of right-to-know laws, among other changes.

PA Opt Out Fight Grows

A Pennsylvania House panel has approved a bill blocking a key portion of the new federal health care law from being enacted within Pennsylvania. The federal health care legislation requires every American to purchase health insurance in 2014 or face penalties. The House Health Committee voted on straight party lines to void the mandate within Pennsylvania's borders.

Democrats on the panel argue the legislation is unconstitutional, since it would directly contradict federal law. Committee Chair and bill sponsor Matthew Baker countered that similar bills have been introduced in 42 states, and passed in six. "So it is the issue all across America right now: that this forced mandate is unconstitutional, and that states have the authority and the wherewithal under their constitutional construct to oppose a mandate that is unconstitutionally exacted upon them by Congress," says Baker. He says President Obama and Congress were the ones who overstepped constitutional boundaries, by penalizing consumers who don't want to buy health insurance. "We need this bill in order to affirm and reassert our autonomy and freedoms. That what is not provided by federal law, the states have the ability to enact. And what this does is, it enacts an unconstitutional section of the federal health care bill called the mandate."

Democratic Committee Chair John Myers argues the 14-9 vote was a stunt. "What they're attempting to do today is to move forward their philosophical agenda, and not address the real issue. Because if they wanted to address the real issue we would be dealing with adultBasic today. And not dealing with this philosophical statement, anti-Barack Obama," says Myers.

AdultBasic provides health insurance for more than 40-thousand low-income Pennsylvanians, but it's set to expire at the end of the month. According to Baker, several constitutional elements are at play here. "The [Obama Administration] has to demonstrate that [the law] is derived from Congressional authority to regulate interstate commerce," he says, arguing regulation of "inactivity is an over-reach." (That is what a Florida federal judge recently found, in a lawsuit joined by then-Attorney General Tom Corbett.)

Baker says the Tenth Amendment is also relevant. The language reads: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, not prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." Whether or not Americans purchase health insurance, says Baker, is not Congress' responsibility. So why not just let the federal courts decide the law's constitutionality, instead of pass a law that may violate another portion of the document, which reads, "This Constitution, and the Laws of the United States...shall be the supreme law of the Land; and the Judges in every state shall be bound thereby, any Thing in the Constitution or Laws of any State to the Contrary notwithstanding?" "This is an added hedge of protection against federal overreach," says Baker.

It's unclear when the full House would vote on the measure, though GOP leadership supports its intent. It's also unclear when or where the next federal court action will happen, though nearly every political and legal observer in the country agrees the health care law will ultimately end up before the United States Supreme Court.

State Representative Costa for Red Light Camera Legislation

Pennsylvania State Representative Paul Costa (D-Allegheny County), says that he will reintroduce legislation to install red-light cameras in Pittsburgh, Scranton, McKeesport and Duquesne.

The cameras will capture the license plates of those who run red-lights. Representative Costa says that tickets that come from the cameras will be similar to parking tickets.

"Some people make the complaint that is about big brother which that's not the case because we only take a picture of the vehicle and the license plate, not the driver. It's similar to getting a parking ticket. If you would park at a meter and the meter would expire the vehicle gets the ticket not the driver of that vehicle."

Costa is also aware of of the complaint that this legislation is another way for the state to generate revenue.

"Money is generated from this, but the bottom line is that it saves lives."

Costa says that Pittsburgh has the highest fatality rate at intersections, and that reports show there is a 24% reduction of accidents at intersections where there are red-light cameras

Philadelphia is the only city in Pennsylvania to have them.

Costa introduced red-light camera legislation last year, but the House did not act on it. This year, he plans to reintroduce it to the Republican dominated House. Costa says that safety should be the number one priority.

He is working with Senator Dominic Pileggi, the majority leader in the Senate, to pass this legislation. Pileggi's legislation implementing red-light cameras was not passed last year because of distracted drivers provisions that were also in the bill.

House Reform Debate Shows Progress

The Pennsylvania State House is moving on, after a messy dispute over voting rules. On Monday, the House approved five reform bills, setting the measures up for final passage next week. The vast majority of the afternoon’s debate was civil and low-key – a far cry from the screaming and hyperbole that dominated Wednesday’s Rules Committee meeting. Republican leaders did not call a vote on a resolution restricting members’ ability to amend measures on the floor, and stripping a Democrat from each House committee. When asked whether Republicans will press forward with the rules change, Majority Leader Mike Turzai of McCandless was eager to shift the topic to the bills the House approved on second consideration. “Look, the package that is going to get voted on next Monday – and we’re back on course – is probably the most substantive reform package that has been put together as a group since the Thornburgh Administration,” he said. The measures increase penalties for lobbyists who break rules, expand “Right to Know” governing state contracts with private companies, and bar lawmakers from operating non-profit organizations that receive tax dollars, among other changes. A Democratic spokesman says he’s worried Republicans will keep the rules change on the table as a “potential weapon” to use against the minority party in the future, if Democrats try to slow down the legislative process.

Turzai kept shifting the topic back to the reform bills, each time reporters asked whether the rules changes – House Resolution 6 – had been tabled for good. Several times during the afternoon’s debate, Allegheny County Democrats offered amendments expanding the measures to include the domestic partners of the lobbyists or state employees impacted by the changes. Every time, Republicans voted down the proposals as not germane to the bill at hand. State Rep. Dan Frankel of Lawrenceville said the House was “burying its head in the sand.” “We live in a world where people live together in domestic partnerships,” he said. “Long-term, interdependent, financially interdependent, emotionally interdependent relationships. 270,000 Pennsylvanians live this way.” After the debate, Turzai said he’d be happy to take a look at the potential loopholes, but in separate bills. “if [Democrats] feel that it’s applicable, then you can introduce a bill and make their case,” he said, arguing language like that needed to be vetted in committee, and not offered on the floor at the last minute.

Transparency Bill Gains Big Backers

A measure to create an online database of all state expenditures is gathering support from some big names in Pennsylvania government.

Governor Tom Corbett and the legislature’s top Republicans are backing Representative Jim Christiana’s PennWATCH legislation, a $150,000 effort to list all of Pennsylvania’s expenses in great detail.

Christiana says he thinks his legislation will have bipartisan support, because opponents may find it difficult to denounce a bill promoting transparency.

“They do it in a subtle way. The opposition talks about the cost of building this site, the fact that Pennsylvania I.T. infrastructure is so outdated and it’s going to cost several million dollars to fix,” says Christiana. “But that’s really to disguise that you just don’t want transparency.”

The Beaver County Republican says 26 other states have implemented online databases of expenditures. He says Pennsylvanians have the right to know how their taxes are being spent.

Christiana says the website would give information about specific contracts and contractors. He says he’s hopeful that with swift passage, the site can be active by January 2012.